Country devastated by calamities; parties in partisan calculations

Yuba Nath Lamsal
Even as the number of people killed in last week's devastated floods and landslide triggered by torrential and incessant rain exceeded 100, political parties seem to have to been trying to reap political benefit out of the pains and plight of the flood-hit people. At this time of national tragedy, all political parties need to issue directives to their workers to concentrate their efforts in the rescue and relief operation. However, parties are just trading blame games and playing politics in it, which is most unfortunate.

Politics is a profession to do public good, serve people and ensure good governance. Politics, in theory, is not a means to earn money or profit making venture. It should be like social service to be devoted to public welfare. But politics is being seen in Nepal and also in the world as something that one should try to avoid. It is becoming a profession or venture to make money and exploit people by misusing public positions, power and authority. The famous quotation of William Shakespeare that ‘politics is the last resort of scoundrels’ is becoming a reality in the present  day politics of Nepal.

Recently, floods and landslides have devastated the country. More than 100 people have already been declared killed in the last week’s floods and landslides in different parts of the country. But real picture has so far not been given by the government. Independent estimates have claimed that the number of deaths could go up as high as 500 whereas the number of affected people may be over a million. Property destroyed in the flood and landslides could be worth billions of rupees.

The devastating landslide in Jure of Sindhupalchok on August 2 alone swept away two villages killing over 156 people and displacing thousands others. It also damaged some hydro power projects and blocked the Araniko High, the only highway linking with China. The country is losing millions of revenue every day due to the roadblock. Trade between Nepal and China has been hit hard already causing difficulties to the people in the capitals and elsewhere as lower and middle income people often depend on cheap goods coming from China.

However, the government’s performance in opening the road has been lackluster.  Considering its trade with Nepal through this surface route, China offered help to open the blocked road but the government of Nepal refused the Chinese offer, possibly under duress from external forces that may not be comfortable with China’s growing presence and influence in Nepal. Had China been allowed to get involved in opening the road, it could have already been opened and trade would have been resumed by now. Given the lackluster performance in opening the road, the Araniko Highway may not be in full and smooth operation before the end of this year, although he Nepalese Army, which has been entrusted with the responsibility of opening the blocked road, has claimed that the road would be opened by the end of September this year.

China’s offer to help in opening the Araniko Highway was guided by its selfless motive to support the friend at the time of distress and also in response to Nepal’s request. Earlier the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested the Government of China in writing seeking support for opening the blocked highway at the earliest. However, Nepal Government backed out when China wholeheartedly came forth to help Nepal in this time of national disaster. Here lies Nepal’s diplomatic immaturity and failure.

Similarly, the government has miserably failed in effectively responding to this state of national disaster. The Prime Minister is sick and his party is in internal squabbling and factional rivalry to have upper hand in national politics and power game. Similarly, the inter-party relationship between the two key coalition partners namely the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML is also not comfortable. Despite being together in the government under compulsion, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML are trading blame against one another on varieties of issue. CPN-UML chairman KP Oli is more outspoken as he has accused Prime Minister Koirala and his Nepali Congress party to have moved in a sluggish pace especially in dealing with some burning national issues and also failing to respect coalition culture. The CPN-UML has accused the Nepali Congress and Prime Minister Koirala of acting unilaterally as though it was single party government of the Nepali Congress. However, the Nepali Congress has refuted the charges and said that it was CPN-UML that has violated the coalition culture but not the Nepali Congress. Shekhar Koirala, central leader of the Nepali  Congress openly accused KP Oli of expressing his views against the spirit and norms of the coalition government. According to him, the CPN-UML is in the government and at the same time is criticizing the Prime Minister which is against coalition culture. He even challenged KP Oli and his party to walk out of the government if they were not happy with the performance of the government or they should shut up.  But CPN-UML is under compulsion. It can neither quit the government nor support the Nepali Congress for everything.

The criticism by opposition parties is natural and genuine. Against this background, the UCPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda, speaking in parliament, demanded declaration of national emergency in the country following the devastation by landslides and floods in the country and focus the entire efforts of the government, political parties and other in rescue and relief operation nationwide. However, the government seems to have paid least interest to this call.

 As a result, the rescue and relief operations were not satisfactory. In many places, the flood and landslide affected people did not receive any kind of support when they were in desperate need. There are fears of the outbreak of epidemics in the affected areas due to lack of safe drinking water, hygienic food and living condition. Children, pregnant women and the elderly people are the hardest hit as they have already started falling sick. Medical workers dispatched to the flood and landslide hit areas often complain the shortage of adequate human resource, medicine and equipment, which has made it difficult for them to cope with the huge number of people who have been displaced and affected by the calamities in different parts of the country. Tens of Thousands people have been displaced and are living in makeshift camps set up in public places and they are not supplied with adequate food, clothes and other necessary stuffs they need to survive. Diarrhea, dysentery, fever, cough and cold have already gripped in many of the camps and it could take an epidemic proportion if timely action was not taken. However, the medical teams deployed in different areas are poorly equipped and are not likely to cope with the situation if epidemic breaks out in the flood and landslide affected areas.

In this time of national disaster, all political parties, be it ruling or opposition, need to stand together and mobilize all state apparatus and party rank and file in rescue and relief operation. This is not the time to play politics in the name of disaster, which the ruling parties themselves are trying to do more than the opposition ones. People are in dire need of support and parties are required to extend helping hands. Once rescue and relief operation completes, the focus on reconstruction as the country has suffered a huge loss of property. Several highways have been either blocked or swept away; bridges destroyed and power houses damaged. This disaster should serve as a waking call for Nepal to make advanced preparedness in dealing with the disaster, which is glaringly lacking on the part of the government. If advanced preparedness was made, it becomes easy to respond immediately at the time of need.